Sunset over a lonely city
The turbid waves of the Shijian River roared behind them, like a caged beast breaking free, completely swallowing the furious shouts of the Qin army pursuers and the whistling of arrows. The remains of the broken bridge floated and collided in the turbulent current, like the shattered bones of a giant beast, proclaiming the complete severance of this path to survival. The icy river water soaked through their thin clothes, the biting cold penetrating to the bone marrow, but it also temporarily numbed the burning pain of their wounds. Xiao Yuxuan was supported by Wang Ben and another wounded soldier, trudging along the slippery pebbles of the riverbank, each movement aggravating the arrow wound that had ruptured under his ribs, and his vision blurred. The vast true qi that Xuanweizi had channeled into him dissipated like the receding tide, leaving behind an even deeper emptiness and exhaustion, as if his entire body had been hollowed out, leaving only a heavy shell.
"Quick! Get into the woods!" Sun Qian's hoarse roar broke in the river wind, carrying the urgency of someone who had survived a calamity and an undeniable sense of necessity. Covered in blood, he leaned on his bronze longsword to support his exhausted body, his gaze sweeping across the dense forest on the opposite bank like that of a wounded alpha wolf—the only refuge, and also the unknown danger.
The remaining dozen or so people, like defeated soldiers ravaged by a storm, stumbled and supported each other as they rushed across the vast, dense, primeval forest that blotted out the sky. The heavy smell of decaying leaves, the damp, earthy stench, and the pervasive, almost miasma-like fragrance of the vegetation instantly enveloped them. The light suddenly dimmed, as if stepping from daylight into dusk.
"Stop! Rest here! Stay alert!" Sun Qian leaned against a huge, moss-covered fir tree trunk, breathing heavily, each breath carrying a strong smell of blood. He had no fewer than seven or eight wounds on his body, the worst being a deep cut on his left shoulder, exposing the bone, with the flesh torn open and blood gushing out.
Wang Ben carefully laid Xiao Yuxuan down, letting him lean against a moss-covered rock. Li Xin had already fainted during the river crossing due to his severe injuries and the icy water, and was placed aside. Gu Yan's arrow wound on his face was swollen high, tinged with an ominous bluish-purple hue. He was cautiously lying at the edge of the woods, monitoring the movements on the opposite bank. Ji Zhai knelt on the ground, his hands deeply embedded in the cold, decaying leaves and soil, his shoulders trembling slightly. The Mohist's compassionate gaze was directed towards the Stone Stream River, as if he could see the corpses floating and sinking in the turbid waves beneath the broken bridge. Xuan Weizi sat cross-legged not far from Xiao Yuxuan, closing his eyes to regulate his breathing. His withered face appeared even more ashen in the dim light, as if the feat of manipulating the water had exhausted his already limited life force.
A deathly silence permeated the forest, broken only by heavy breathing and the suppressed groans of the wounded. Exhaustion, pain, the bone-chilling cold, and the grief of losing their comrades weighed heavily on the hearts of every survivor, like invisible stones.
“This place… cannot be lingered here.” Sun Qian’s voice broke the silence, carrying a forced calm. “Although the Qin army is temporarily blocked on the other side, they will surely send elite troops to bypass upstream, or cut down trees to build rafts, and will soon cross the river to search the mountains. We… need to find a defensible place to temporarily avoid their advance and recuperate.” His sharp gaze fell on Ji Zhai. “Mr. Ji, you once traveled this place with the Mohists. Do you know if there are any abandoned fortresses or strategic passes nearby?”
Ji Zhai slowly raised his head, his mud-covered fingers brushing his forehead, wiping away the damp hair that obscured his vision. His eyes still held confusion and pain, but the Mohist's resilience forced him to composed himself. He pondered for a moment, his voice hoarse: "From here eastward, crossing three mountain ridges, there is an old fortress called 'Guzhu Fortress.' Legend has it that it was built by the remnants of a previous dynasty, clinging to a precipice, overlooking a deep ravine, a strategically advantageous location, easy to defend and difficult to attack. However… abandoned for many years, it is likely in ruins, and…" He paused, his voice even lower, "This place is deep in mountains and dense in forests, permeated with damp miasma, and has long been known as a 'plague-ridden land'…"
"The plague-stricken area?" Gu Yan turned around abruptly, his swollen face twitching slightly.
"We can't worry about anything else!" Wang Ben said through gritted teeth, clutching the deep, bone-revealing knife wound on his shoulder. "Even if it's dangerous and difficult, it's better than being chased like a rabbit by the Qin dogs in this forest! Having a wall to lean on is better than waiting to die in the open!"
A glint flashed in Sun Qian's eyes, and he made a decisive decision: "Let's go to Guzhu Fortress! Mr. Ji, lead the way! Wang Ben, Gu Yan, support Li Xin! Mr. Xuanwei, Yu Xuan..." He looked at the still extremely weak Xiao Yu Xuan and Xuanwei Zi, who was meditating with his eyes closed, "Please do your best to keep up. We can't delay here for even a moment, let's go!"
The will to survive overwhelmed the pain and exhaustion. Like a wounded herd of beasts, the group, led by Ji Zhai, once again embarked on a perilous journey. Deep in the dense forest, vines intertwined, jagged rocks jutted out, making every step exceptionally difficult. The rotting branches and leaves emitted a nauseatingly sweet stench, and the heavy dampness seemed almost tangible, clinging to the skin with an icy chill. Xiao Yuxuan was being carried by Wang Ben and another soldier in turns, his consciousness teetering between excruciating pain and delirium. Xuan Weizi followed closely behind, his steps seemingly unsteady yet remarkably stable, though his ashen face and sunken eyes betrayed his immense exhaustion.
After an unknown amount of time trekking and countless slippery and steep mountain ridges, as the last rays of the setting sun struggled to penetrate the dense canopy of trees, painting the last pale golden-red hues onto the rugged rock face, a ruin, resembling the skeleton of a colossal beast, perched atop the precipice, finally came into view.
Guzhubao!
Its silhouette appeared particularly grotesque and desolate in the twilight. The crumbling stone walls were covered in dark green moss and withered vines, the gaping holes resembling those gnawed by a giant beast. The few remaining watchtowers leaned precariously, their dark windows like the eye sockets of skulls, indifferently gazing into the bottomless, dark ravine below. Inside the fortress, weeds grew rampant among the broken walls, scattered with rotting beams and shattered tiles. A thick, suffocating stench, a mixture of mold, dust, and some indescribable decay, filled the air.
“This is it…” Ji Zhai’s voice carried a hint of a weary sigh.
The group dragged their heavy steps through a massive archway devoid of doors, stepping into this death fortress forgotten by time. The stone slabs beneath their feet were cracked, with withered weeds stubbornly sprouting from the gaps. On the remaining walls, faded and peeling murals and blurred carvings faintly told tales of a long-vanished past. In the empty fortress square, a few startled crows took flight, cawing harshly, before disappearing into the deepening twilight.
"Quickly! Find shelter where we can still take refuge! Clear an open space to start a fire! Wang Ben, Gu Yan, take men to inspect the fortress walls immediately, find all the breaches, and seal them with rubble and wood as much as possible! Mr. Ji, please survey the fortress's internal structure and find the most sturdy hall or cellar!" Sun Qian's voice echoed in the empty ruins, carrying an unquestionable iron will, forcefully dispelling the pervasive atmosphere of despair.
The instinct for survival was reignited. Ignoring their exhaustion and pain, the men immediately sprang into action. Wang Ben and Gu Yan, along with a few soldiers who still had the strength, scaled the crumbling fortress walls, nervously examining the defensive weaknesses in the twilight. Ji Zhai, meanwhile, roused himself, his figure swiftly disappearing into the shadows of the ruins, his Mohist gaze carefully scrutinizing the structure and usable parts of the abandoned fortress.
Xiao Yuxuan was placed in a relatively intact corner, sheltered by walls on three sides. Xuan Weizi sat cross-legged beside him, his withered fingers once again resting on his wrist. This time, the true qi he channeled was even weaker, like fine silk, yet exceptionally pure, carefully combing through his nearly depleted meridians, nourishing that faint life force.
"Guard your Qi... like guarding this city..." Xuanweizi closed his eyes, his voice low and almost a whisper, "Though the city is ruined, its foundation remains. Though the Qi is weak, the life fire has not been extinguished... Calm your mind and guard your will, guide it back to its origin..."
Xiao Yuxuan closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm his mind. Following Xuanweizi's guidance, he laboriously circulated the tattered "Guarding Qi" technique. Each shift of his thoughts was accompanied by excruciating pain and dizziness, as if his meridians were being torn apart, but he gritted his teeth and persevered. Deep within his dantian, the faint warm current that Xuanweizi had forcibly protected flickered stubbornly like a candle in the wind.
A short while later, Ji Zhai emerged from behind a cluster of collapsed houses, his face grave. “Mr. Sun,” he said, pointing to a relatively well-preserved stone hall carved into the mountainside deep within the fortress, “this hall was the meeting place of the fortress. The stone walls are thick, with only one door and one window. Its structure is extremely sturdy, making it a suitable place for hiding and defense. Behind the hall is a narrow passage leading to a cave deep inside the mountain, which seems to have been a place for storing grain and taking refuge in the past. Although it is damp, it is still a place to stay.”
"Good!" A glint of light flashed in Sun Qian's eyes. "Immediately move the seriously wounded to the stone hall! Clear the clutter from the hall, prepare rolling stones and logs, and seal the doors and windows! Gu Yan, take some men to explore the cave; if there is any water storage, that would be even better!"
The order was carried out swiftly. Li Xin and two other seriously wounded men were carefully carried into the cold, dark stone hall. Xiao Yuxuan was also helped in and leaned against the cold stone wall. Gu Yan led the two men, carrying makeshift torches, and carefully made their way into the deep, musty-smelling passageway.
Just as everyone was tensely setting up defenses, a young soldier responsible for moving stones to seal the breach in the fortress wall suddenly let out a piercing scream! He abruptly dropped the stones, clutched his throat tightly with both hands, his face instantly turned bluish-purple, his eyes bulged, and his body convulsed violently! Then, with a "whoosh," he vomited a large mouthful of filth mixed with black blood clots, the stench pungent and offensive! He then collapsed stiffly to the ground, his limbs still twitching unconsciously, clearly beyond saving!
This sudden, terrifying sight was like ice water poured over their heads, instantly freezing everyone in place! A chill ran from their feet straight to their heads!
"What's going on?!" Sun Qian shouted sharply, stepping forward quickly.
"I...I don't know! He...he just moved a rock...and suddenly..." The soldier next to him was so frightened that he turned pale and stammered.
Sun Qian crouched down, enduring the pungent stench, and used the tip of his sword to clear away the vomit from the corpse. In the dim firelight, he could see, among the vomit, wriggling, tiny, grayish-white nematodes! It was utterly horrifying!
"It's...it's plague!" An older soldier beside him cried out, his voice trembling with boundless fear. "It's the miasma from the mountains! He...he must have been infected by something unclean! He's angered the mountain spirits!"
The word "plague" was like the most vicious curse, instantly igniting the already taut fear! Despair spread rapidly among the surviving soldiers like a plague! They stared in horror at the corpses on the ground, then at their own hands, covered in mud and possibly having touched anything in the fortress, their eyes filled with immense fear of the unknown death and hysterical despair!
"It's over...it's over! We've entered the plague-stricken area...we've angered the mountain spirits...no one will survive!"
"We're all going to die here! Just like him! Rotting away! Vomiting worms!"
"Run...run away! Get out of this hellhole!"
Panic spread like wildfire, instantly shattering the fragile order that had just been established! Several soldiers broke down, dropping their tools and crying out as they tried to rush out of the fortress!
"Halt!" Sun Qian's roar was like thunder, carrying a sharp killing intent! He suddenly drew his sword, the cold blade pointing at the soldiers who were trying to escape, his eyes like those of a ferocious beast ready to devour its prey. "Those who desert in the face of battle and disrupt the morale of the army—behead them!" The chilling killing intent was like a tangible ice spike, instantly piercing through the chaotic panic! The soldiers were stunned on the spot, frozen in place, trembling.
However, the panic did not truly subside; it was merely suppressed, like boiling magma surging beneath thin ice. The faces of all the survivors were etched with despair and fear of their companions—who knew if they would be the next to fall? Who could guarantee that they themselves hadn't been infected by that unseen, deadly plague?
Just then, Gu Yan, his face deathly pale, stumbled out of the narrow passage leading to the cave in the mountain's interior, his voice filled with unprecedented terror: "Mr. Sun! There are dead people in the cave! Many dead people! They're all... rotten! And... there are living... monsters!"
Following his trembling finger, everyone looked and saw the deep cave entrance, illuminated by the flickering firelight, resembling the gaping maw of hell, exuding a strong stench of death and decay. Faintly visible deep within the cave, indistinct, inhuman silhouettes seemed to be slowly writhing in the darkness…
Guzhu Fortress, this abandoned fortress of death, revealed its ferocious fangs the moment twilight completely enveloped it. Cut off from water and food, surrounded by pursuers, it now faces a terrifying plague and unknown monsters lurking in the caves.
The real impasse was only just beginning. The last rays of the setting sun, like congealed blood, smeared the dilapidated outline of Guzhu Fortress, announcing the arrival of the long night.
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